It is always nice when plans work! I put up a trailcam only a few days ago along US Forest Road #813 (do not drive … ignore Google Maps, or you will get stuck) near a pond. The trailcam has already photographed Mr. Moose (wet from munching on water plants in a nearby pond)! Location of bird feeders … next to Lake County #2 (includes hiking information).
As a fyi, I had seen both Moose and Lynx tracks prior to putting up the trailcam. Best probability at seeing mammals will always be very close to sunrise or sunset.
I drove down to Park Point (Minnesota Point) this morning leaving around 5:30 am. I almost did not head down to the Point for a “shorebird” walk on the beach because around 5:00 am when I looked outside at my house (800 yards above Lake Superior), there appeared to be low clouds, perhaps fog. Our weather has been so nasty I really wanted to bird the big lake, but not in cold fog. Like most mornings before I go birding I decided to check my weather map and live web cams.
My favorite weather app which is available on Android or Apple, is Weawow. I make a donation of a few dollars and look carefully at the hour by hour forecast, and the weather maps (both rain and wind / speed / direction). This weather app is very detailed, and does NOT have advertising or pop-ups. Regardless, the app seemed to indicate a trip to the big lake would work fine.
However, I always check the live Canal Park webcam before heading out. I look at the American flag on the display tug boat, sky conditions, and lake waves. Here is what the scene looked like at 5:08 am … a beautiful calm morning 15 minutes before sunrise. Game on!
My shorebird search was a bust, but the flowering fruit trees just off the main parking lot yielded a rare sight for northern Minnesota … a Red-Headed Woodpecker! This bird was definitely worth the price of admission!!! The bird seemed to be storing food, but the habitat on Park Point would not be my expectation in terms of red-head friendly.
The moral of the story for birding … do your research but then be willing to adjust and have fun!
Red-Head … the Movie! (video link for email subscribers)
The back country is wet, which does not encourage one to go off trail. Twice in the past three days I have visited Sax-Zim Bog and the water next to the dirt roads is amazingly deep. The reason for my visits is we are now entering the time period when both Great Gray Owls and Barred Owls have their owlets hatch, which means both species often hunt well after sunrise. While I have not seen any Great Grays (bummer) I have found the same exact Barred Owl twice. At this point I do not know if it is a younger owl that did not mate this year, or whether a nest is in the vicinity. Regardless here are a few pics from Sunday morning when the yellow globe came out briefly.
I also watched this Chestnut-Sided Warbler (and a whole bunch others) near my home
Here is a timeline for Great Gray Owls which I put together. It assumes a nesting date of May 1st (adjust earlier or later based upon your own sightings). Shortly after hatching the views of Poppa GGO with the need to hunt increase.
Nesting Date: May 1
Incubation Time: 30 days (End on June 1st)
Time in Nest: 28 days (End on June 28th)
Exploring on Ground or Snags near nest: 7 to 14 days (End on July 4th to 11th)
